Phils beat Eagles on TV
An upset.
Phils beat Eagles on TV
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
In October of 2008, the Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers played what turned out to be a series-clinching game for the Phils at exactly the same time that the Eagles were playing the Washington Redskins. Televised against each other, the ratings were no surprise to people in Philadelphia. Even though the Phillies had a lot more at stake, the Eagles trounced them in the Philadelphia ratings, 22.7 to 13.2.
Two years later, a sea change.
Sunday night, the Phillies won the ratings war against the Eagles. It was the same situation -- a series-clinching game for the Phils, a regular-season game for the Eagles. It was the same television dynamic -- Phillies on cable, Eagles on a network. But according to Sports Business Daily, the Phils were the winners among Philadelphians watching television, 27.7 to 24.1.
The only difference between the two scenarios was the 2008 featured a pair of 1 pm games and 2010 featured two games that started after 8 pm. That wouldn't see to explain the flip in the numbers. Rather, my guess is that it has to do with expectations.
In 2008, the Phillies still hadn't won anything and the town hadn't won anything in a very long time. Back then, everybody was still waiting for the safe to fall on their heads. That was the old normal in Philadelphia, and in that mindset, an Eagles teams that was a perennial playoff contender took the lead, and by a large margin.
Now, fast-forward to today. In those 2 years, the expectations for both teams have been turned on their heads. Phillies fans have tasted success in ways that they haven't since 1980, and now they have a team with three starting pitchers/assasins named Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels. Phillies fans expect to win -- you know, the whole thing. It is a feeling that I can not remember being so pervasive in my professional lifetime, not in any sport or with any team.
As for the Eagles? Well, this was going to be a year when they caught their breath and tried to get Kevin Kolb ready to win championships. Expectations were dialed down all summer. Then, well, let's just say that the first month has been a little wacky. Short-term expectations might be higher now with Michael Vick, but he also happens to be hurt at the moment. You watch the Eagles, like much of the NFL, and it is hard to know what to think.
The Eagles do not appear to have lost any of their popularity, even with that. But the Phillies have grabbed a place that they likely have never held in this town, and it was reflected in those television numbers. Confident, swaggering, expecting to win; imagine.
PS: Nationally, it wasn't close. The Eagles' game routed the Phillies, 11.7 to 3.9.
Honest what that says is that Phillies only like you when your doing well...I like both so don't start calling me a hater. Just true...— EaglesBleedMoney- I love both teams equally. That said, let's not kid ourselves. If Birds were playing better, had a better record, and Vick was at the helm, ratings would have been different. Many people are finally becoming numb to the same old same old Eagles though and there really isn't anyone to cheer for which is why Vick was a fresh change of pace. Phils on the other hand have become the center of the baseball universe and have a good cast of players to cheer for.— DennyP
I like both equally...I watched the Phils on TBS and streamed the Eagles on nbcsports.com. I wonder if there is a way to pickup the % of people that did it that way?- Who cares about the Eagles? How about a team that knows how to win Super Bowls in their sleep, the Steelers. 6 and counting.— ronin32
- Philly is a baseball town.— Bob65S
- Baseball is absolutely excruciating to watch. The average playoff games takes 3 1/2 hours, when it could be played in under 2. I try to get into it but it is just too ******* boring. The only time it's bearable is when Halladay is pitching, he just gets on the mound and throws, like it should be done.— brmorgen81
I watched both, every play AND no commercials - it's called a DVR!!- I don;t like both equally. I love the Phillies and hate the Eagles. The Eagles are arrogant, ignorant, self-agrandizing A**H*l*s. THe gold standard ...what a joke. THey insult our fans and our city every chance they get. They hold the fans and the city hostage every chance they get. I was an Eagle fan for YEARS. No more.— justacarpenter
- I watched the Phillies, then switched over to watch a NHL game. I simply can't get invested in the Eagles as long as Andy Reid is the coach.— JSaq
eaglesbleed, you are one of the corny bandwagoners who criticize others that jump onboard once teams do well... sports teams need fans of all kinds, who cares whether or not the team is good or bad, spring training or playoffs? youre so anti bandwagon you are the bandwagon.- Like most things in life, Philly sports teams are cyclical, if too often on the the downward end of the cycle. I think it is easier to lose interest in a baseball team because there are so many games in such a long season. It is easier to hang with a bad team that only plays 16 times a year. I think much of the fan support rests on how the team treats them. For the early part of the decade and before, the Phillies fed us a steady diet of "we think we can win with what we have"(sound familiar? "time's yours"). Now they put their money where their mouths are and they win and the fans support and they spend and the wheel goes round and round.— fbrookes
- DennyP - If Vick were at the helm, I would not be watching even if the Phils WEREN'T playing. Quite honestly, I don't like the Eagles enough to watch a scum bag play. And the NFL product now is simply terrible. Watered down garbage, horrible games, terrible teams....ooops, sorry "parity". Can't wait until the stretch an already-too-long season to 18 games. They'll be suiting up the cheerleaders to get enough players. The NFL is horrible.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
I watched the whole Phillies game and cut over to Boardwalk Empire during commercials. Why don't people understand that the way Reid and the front office treat the media in this town is a direct extension of how they feel about the fans?— wokmaster
Truth be told, The Eagles have made themselves into a team of not very likable people. Vick is hard to root for if you're a dog person, which I am, and the Coach, who has had his family issues, is never up front about anything. His act has worn thin. The owner and President each have cultivated an image that is hard to like in way. Meanwhile the Phillies are so fan friendly. Ruben Amaro is a neighbor and has come to many local functions to help raise funds or to just celebrate a day. I can't imagine any Eagle person doing that without compensation.
If given a choice , I will watch the Phillies.— Servo- amazing the sporting news declared Philadelphia as the fourth best sports city in the USA. You've got three teams (Flyers, Phillies and Eagles) in the playoffs or finals. You would think folks would be grateful for what they have. You could be living in Cleveland!!!— mhstacks
